The future of transit expansion on Sheppard Avenue hangs in the balance after the Mayor’s allies managed to put off a decision Rob Ford seems destined to lose to light-rail supporters.

A chaotic finale to a day-long debate about LRTs versus subways saw a flurry of attempts by councillors to either continue the meeting or reconvene at another time, with the Mayor himself suggesting the matter resume in two weeks. In the end, city council resolved to continue the debate on Thursday morning.

Political opponents accused the Mayor of chickening out; the Mayor’s brother railed against a push to “St Clair-ize” the city with surface light rail, while a Ford ally lamented a lack of leadership on the whole transit file.

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The Mayor has yet to speak to the issue. When chased by reporters following the meeting, he refused to answer questions.

“We had to do what we needed to do today to ensure that subways are still on the table, and subways are still on the table. There hasn’t been a vote,” said Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, one of Rob Ford’s most loyal councillors.

Light-rail supporters, however, say victory is all but theirs, and that come Thursday, city council will officially endorse a 13-kilometre extension to the Sheppard subway, using about $1-billion in provincial and federal funding to pay for it.

“I think it’s a very desperate tactic of a very desperate man who is saying like any wild animal before I get defeated let me escape,” he said. “We have the votes to win tomorrow, we had the votes to win right now… Scarborough will finally get beautiful, reliable, powerful rapid transit.”

Mayor Ford has continued to publicly push for an eastern Sheppard subway extension, even after a panel concluded that an LRT is the best choice for the suburban corridor, but he has been criticized for not producing a credible plan to pay for tunnelling. In a last ditch attempt to salvage the subway, budget chief Mike Del Grande proposed a levy on commercial parking spots across the city. The fee, Mr. Del Grande said, could raise $90-million a year for a “rapid transit legacy fund” dedicated to constructing new lines, starting with an extension of the Sheppard subway, and continuing someday with other long desired projects, such as connecting Yonge-Sheppard station to the University-Spadina line, a downtown relief line, an extension to the Toronto Zoo and to Sherway Gardens.

“Councillors have said show us the money, show us the plan,” Mr. Del Grande said. He said the levy would act as seed money that would be bolstered by development charges, tax increment financing and public-private partnerships. But councillors questioned whether it would raise enough money for a $2.7- to $3.7-billion subway, let alone any other project.

After the meeting adjourned, Mr. Del Grande had resigned himself to losing that vote. He said councillors who had said they were on side later “turned on us”. It’s still not clear if even the tax-averse Mayor will vote for this plan. Councillor Ana Bailao, a centrist councillor, wants to refer the Del Grande motion to the city manager so he can develop a comprehensive transit plan and funding strategy. “We’re being asked to jump first and ask questions later and that’s not how I represent our constituents,” said Ms. Bailao.

Several other motions are on the table, including one from Scarborough councillor Norm Kelly to use the $1-billion in committed funding to extend the Sheppard subway to Victoria Park Avenue, and look at building a rapid bus corridor on Sheppard Avenue further east.

“The problem with the vote on this council, people have solidified their positions on what they believe instead of what their communities want,” said pro-subway councillor David Shiner. For Councillor Peter Milczyn, a member of the Mayor’s executive, the debate boils down to a squandered opportunity. “What’s unfortunate is the lack of leadership that has led up to today’s debate.”

Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has released its last budget before the fall federal election

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